KarmaFree Cooking

Healthy Lifestyle Change for APRIL– Eat only Whole Grain flours

Whole grain flours are much more nutritious than white refined flours. Whole-grain flours have insoluble fiber very necessary to help our intestines eliminate properly. There are several benefits to transition from white-refined baked goods:

Baked products made with whole-grain flours have more flavor
Whole-grain flour has fiber that helps our system with constipation issues
Fiber has complex carbohydrates to help you feel more satisfied longer after eating
Whole-grain products contain more nutrients

Instead of buying at the grocery store the regular, same-old white bread you usually buy, you’ll now purchase instead:

100% whole-wheat bread – it’s important to read the labels, because there are many sandwich bread brands out there that contain some form of whole-wheat flour, but still the main flour is white. The label should say 100% whole-wheat and the first ingredient in the list should be whole-wheat flour.
- Now, there are brands of whole-wheat semi baked baguettes too.
- Local bakeries, even Pan Pepín in Puerto Rico, bake whole-wheat pan criollo – order this the next time you order a sandwich in a local panadería
- Buy whole-wheat pita breads – these are great for sandwiches and even for pizzas. They come in a small and larger sizes.

Whole-wheat or whole-grain pastas
- In any major supermarket now there’s a variety of whole-wheat and alternative grain pastas in a variety of presentations – penne, macaroni, lasagna and fettuccini noodles, among others.
- Try some alternative grain pastas – like those made out of Rice, Brown rice, Quinoa, etc.

Baked Goods made from Whole-Wheat or Whole Grains
- In many supermarkets and health food stores there’s a wide variety of baked goods made from whole-wheat and other whole grains, such as:
  - Guava Pastelillos – Made in Las Marías, here in Puerto Rico
  - Health Food stores carry several boxed cake mixes made with whole-wheat or alternative flours, for the Baker who does not feel comfortable making cakes from scratch.
  - But if you’re comfortable making things from scratch here are a few cake and cookie recipes you can certainly try:

It’s not that difficult to transition from white/refined baked goods to whole-grain… it just takes a few different choices when we go to the grocery store will bring much more health and nutrition to our lives. Try it… you will not regret it.

Tags: whole grain, whole grain pasta

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Lifestyle Changes 2010

Tomato Basil Bruschetta Mix

24 Mar

Ever since my little nieces fell in love with my Shrek’s Spaghetti… they’ve been asking for me to fix them every time they come over to visit. The thing is that not every time Titi Madelyn has the spinach fettuccini that gives Shrek’s Spaghetti its peculiar name.

So a few weeks back, my solution was to just marinate the tomatoes and serve them as an appetizer with crackers instead. They liked it a lot… as did their mothers. Now, this has become a frequent request for parties and get-togethers. It’s really good… try it for yourself.

TOMATO BASIL BRUSCHETTA MIX

4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped – you could also use a pint of grape or cherry tomatoes

8-10 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

2 tbs of basil, chopped – I have been using freeze-dried lately

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1 tsp Salt

½ tsp freshly cracked Black Pepper

About ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix together well.
Marinate the tomato mixture at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, tossing and mixing every once in a while.
Remove the pieces of smashed garlic before serving to your guests. Enjoy with whole-wheat toasts or crackers.

Tags: basil, garlic, tomato

Comments 1 Comment
Categories appetizers

Healthy Lifestyle Change for MARCH – Not eating Animal products once a week

10 Mar

I know that it’s sometimes difficult to shed a habit so much ingrained in us such as eating animal products. Especially when we were raised with the belief and within a society that promotes healthy eating with eating meat and other animal products.

If you were to tell me 12 years ago that I was going to be a vegetarian and that I would be writing a blog sharing my recipes and experiences with the world, I would have laughed in the face of whoever told me that then. But destiny has proven to be different and being vegetarian I have found a whole world filled with happiness and health. And that’s what I want for you all…

But I do not pretend that a decision that big should be taken lightly… the decision to become vegetarian needs to come truly from within. That’s why I would like for you to try consciously to think about eating 3 meals in a day without any animal products… no red meat, no chicken, no pork, no bacon, no fish, no seafood, no eggs – nothing of that nature just one day a week.

It’s not that difficult… this blog is filled with recipes that do not include any of those. And in line with my previous post on MeatFree Mondays, it’s not also a great way to see that you can indeed feed and nourish yourself but here are some other benefits of not eating meat products once a week:

Animal products/meats are much harder to digest than vegetable-based foods
Animal products are many times associated with constipation
It’s a way to contribute in the reduction of green house gases, and contribute to the helath of our planet.
And we should create a new habit of thinking that RICE or even a SALAD is the focal point of our dinner plate, not a piece of meat.

Here are a few of our most popular recipes to help you kick-start your menu imagination…

Comme Ci Comme Ca Salade Niçoise

veggie-cuban-sandwich

Veggie Cuban Sandwich

Sweet Plantain and Spinach Pastelón

camarones-enchilados

couliflower-and-cheese-mac

Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

tembleque-mami

Mami’s Tembleque

Tags: lifestyle, vegetarian

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Lifestyle Changes 2010

Smoky Soft Polenta

1 Mar

Until recently, to me creamy cornmeal was something to be had sweet and for breakfast. But lately I have learned that this Italian staple is something to be savored as a lunch or dinner and depending on how you season it, it can certainly be very versatile.

I already shared with you a version using blue cheese as a flavoring component… but this time we’re going the smoky route. When you add a smoky cheese to polenta, it brings a “bacony” taste without the guilt or repercussions to your health and conscience.

SMOKY SOFT POLENTA

½ cup water

½ cup milk

¼ tsp salt

4 tbs quick-cooking polenta

About 1/3 cup smoked Gouda cheese, grated

¼ cup Pecorino Romano, grated

I prepare my polentas according to the package directions of the brand I buy… I first heat up in a medium-sized pot over medium heat the milk, water and salt.
As soon as the milk/water mixture is starting to boil, add the polenta in small increments, whisking constantly with a hand whisk. The polenta I buy thickens pretty quickly, in about 1-2 minutes of whisking.
Add the cheeses and mix well to ensure they melt into the polenta. If you find the polenta too thick, you can stir in a bit more milk if you want.

The taste is salty, creamy and smoky all in one bite… I had this originally with these Braised Bell Peppers.

Tags: cheese, polenta, smoked gouda

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories main courses

Braised Bell Peppers

26 Feb

I have a new favorite supermarket, Plaza Loíza. It’s what the call locally, Cash & Carry, but lately they have awesome produce. I love that when I do groceries there, I can fill up a few bags of groceries and only spend $30, while at Grande 24hrs I can spend the same amount and only have 1 small little bag with me. Amazing…

The other day Plaza Loíza had bell peppers on sale. All bell peppers, regardless of their color – green, red, yellow or orange – all were at $1.99/lb. If you’re a fan of bell peppers and live in PR, you’d know this is a bargain. You can find the green ones at this price, but reds, yellow and orange too!!!! Very difficult to find…

Now that I had these peppers, I wanted to do something special with them. I found a recipe for braised bell peppers in an old Cooking Light cookbook. Of course I changed it a bit to make it in a smaller quantity and to make good with what I had in the pantry. It turned out so delicious I decided to share it with you…

BRAISED BELL PEPPERS

About 1 tbs olive oil

2 tsps of sofrito

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 ½ onions, sliced

A pinch of anise seed

1 tbs of tomato paste

1 cup of water

1 tbs ume plum vinegar

1 tbs fresh basil – or you could use freeze-dried too

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a skillet with tall sides over medium heat, add the oil, sofrito, pepper and onion strips. Season with salt. Sauté for a few minutes for the veggies to start to become soft. Add a pinch of anise seeds.
After about 10 minutes of cooking, add the tomato paste and mix well with the peppers/onions. Add the water and mix it all well. Bring to a boil. When it does, lower the heat and partially cover. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until peppers are soft.
After peppers are soft, stir in basil and vinegar. Add pepper. Turn of the stove and cover. Let the heat from the pot and stove finish melding the flavors together.